Washington (CNN) – Sometimes in politics, things are black and white – like the historically wide gulf between the black community and the conservative movement.
But a new effort by FreedomWorks, a conservative organization associated with the tea party movement, aims to change that. And a prominent African-African progressive activist says he thinks the outreach effort is premature, misguided and, therefore, not likely to be successful.

With an event Wednesday evening in Pittsburgh, FreedomWorks is launching its national "Black and White Tour," an explicit, unapologetic effort to lobby African-Americans on economic policy issues at the core of the agenda of many fiscal conservatives involved in tea party activism.FULL POST

Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) - Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords made an emotional return to the political stage Thursday night when she led the pledge of allegiance at the Democratic National Convention.

Giffords, who stepped down from Congress in January to focus on her recovery from a shooting that left her grievously wounded, walked out with good friend Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz by her side.FULL POST

Despite being outraised by his opponent, Flake has seen strong backing from both establishment and tea party Republicans in his quest to win the open seat soon to be vacated by retiring Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl.FULL POST

(CNN) - Nineteen months after she and 18 others were shot at a political event - six of them fatally - former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords returned home Sunday to her native southern Arizona, her husband said.

Giffords has spent most of the time since the January 8, 2011, attack at medical facilities in Houston recovering from being shot in the head at a "Congress On Your Corner" event outside a Safeway supermarket in Tucson. She's returned to her hometown several times since that shooting, though not permanently until now.

"Wil is exactly what Washington, DC needs – an outsider beholden to no one other than the Arizona residents he hopes to represent," Santorum said. "We look forward to helping him become not only the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, but Arizona's next U.S. Senator."FULL POST